Dancing in the Dark
by Arlia'Devi
Summary: Kagome needs to travel back to her time and convinces InuYasha to join her - could a quick holiday be what the pair really need? Some provocative moves on the dance floor has InuYasha wondering why he didn't think of this sooner... A 3-part Lime&Lemon.
1. Part 1

By Arlia'Devi

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha: rights go entirely to Rumiko Takahashi and associates. I make no money from this.

A/N: I suppose this is kind of a warped Canon fic - Kagome is eighteen, and Naraku's just been defeated. I know it doesn't traditionally follow the original storyline, but hey, I'm sure you guys who are really bothered can close your eyes and pretend ~ xo

**~ Dancing in the Dark ~**

by Arlia'Devi.

InuYasha growled at the pathetic state of the woman pleading in front of him. "Whadda'ya mean ya gotta go back home, Kagome?" he snarled, and the remainder of the gang recoiled away from the hanyou's harsh words as the girl from the future pleaded, as usual, for a few days in her home time. "We're days away from the village. Why now?"

"I can't explain it, InuYasha," replied the girl. "I just gotta make my way back there, whether you guys come or not. I have obligations to fulfil in the future."

"What sorta obligations?" he spat the word as if it was bullshit; what exactly did she have more important to do back there than here? "Humour me, Kagome. What's more important, finishin' business with Naraku dead or goin' back home?"

"I'm sorry, InuYasha!" she cried. He smelt the saltiness of tears in the air before they pricked her eyes. "I accept that sometimes there are things you have to do privately, and I don't ask questions."

"Pah!" he groaned. "Like what?"

"Kikyo," she said the woman's name with such iciness it made the hanyou cringe. "Why can't you accept that I have my own personal obligations to myself and my family, and let me go without a fight, like I always do for you?"

The hanyou seemed to deliberate this for a moment.

"I should go too," Sango muttered. "I haven't been to my village in a long time, and it's rather close by… I should pay my respects. Besides, now that Naraku's dead, I think we all deserve a couple of days off. You should go, Kagome."

"Fine," InuYasha gave in. He always gave in though; he'd admit to himself that he'd give into giving anything to Kagome. If she said that deep within her heart she wanted to jump off a cliff into sharp rocks below, with the right amount of persuasion, he'd let her. Sometimes, InuYasha wondered why he fought against the girl from the future, and could only put it down to enjoying the meaningless squabbles that they had together. He liked fighting with her, testing how much Kagome could take before she gave up and huffed away, sitting his ass into the ground so hard sometimes he staggered away. Not that he liked the last part, though; no he detested the freaking prayer beads that were laced around his neck. "You can go back."

"For three days."

"Three days," he represented the amount with three claws. "One. Two. Three. No longer."

Kagome nodded. "Starting from when I go down the well. Are you going to take me back to the village?"

The hanyou rolled his topaz eyes. "I suppose I have 'ta, don't I? I can't trust you to walk all the way back without gettin' into trouble, can I?"

"I'll accompany Sango," called the ever noble Miroku with Shippou in tow. Sango blushed.

"Whatever, Miroku," InuYasha huffed evidently disgusted at the man's lecherous ways at times. "Just keep your hands to yourself." He positioned himself so that Kagome could easily clamber onto his back, and the girl did, allowing the demon to hook his hands around her thighs.

"Bye, Kagome!" called Shippou while waving a frantic tiny hand. "Come back soon!"

InuYasha, as directed, didn't ask Kagome why she so desperately needed to go back, although it was beginning to eat him inside. What was so insanely private that she couldn't tell him? They were supposed to be friends, weren't they? Kagome had warned him to respect her privacy, like she did with him so many times regarding Kikyo, but he couldn't help but wonder…

When they arrived in Kaede's village, Kagome decreed that it was too late at night to travel back to the future, unless of course, she batted her eyelashes, if InuYasha wanted to come. He stopped in the middle of the path, only a few metres away from Kaede's hut. The warm glow of the fire within her house radiated out into the night.

"Pah," replied the demon and crossed his arms over his chest. "You yell at me to respect your private business in the future, and now you're askin' me to come? You gotta set your story straight, Kagome."

"That's a 'no' then?" she muttered.

"I'll only consider comin' if you tell me what's goin' on."

"I," Kagome muttered, her foot kicking up a clump of mud self-conciously. "I need to go back to the future to pay respects to my father."

"Your father?" InuYasha gaped. Kagome had never spoken about her father! Much the same way InuYasha never spoke about his, but he'd always assumed, well… nothing. Kagome didn't have a father in his eyes, – some how she'd just been born from her mother.

"He died when I was very young," she replied. "Of cancer." Evidently, InuYasha didn't understand what 'cancer' was. "I have to go back to my time to pay my respect to him: it's a time of family mourning followed by a great dance to celebrate his life and the development scientists have found in curing the disease. It's a foundation event – a festival."

"A festival?" InuYasha growled.

"Yeah," Kagome smiled. "And… well, I wanted to know if you'd come with me."

InuYasha pondered this for a moment: a festival didn't seem like a very respectful way to mourn someone's death, but then again, Kagome had called it… what was it? A 'celebration of life'? And it seemed that Kagome's father was important to her. Besides, if he did accompany Kagome, he'd get to watch that colourful box of moving pictures her brother loved, and make sure she wasn't taking extra time doing stupid stuff like she normally did. Plus, Mama Higurashi always fed him until he felt he would pop.

"Alright," he huffed and scooped Kagome up by the legs. A blur of foliage and a cool wind caressing Kagome's face and suddenly she was dangling a top the Bone Eater's Well with InuYasha balancing carefully on the edges. "Three days," he re-affirmed and Kagome nodded. Then, the demon stepped over the edge and subsequently dropped, allowing the blue mist to encircle them and fast forward five hundred years.

* * *

><p>The Higurashi family were preparing for bed when Kagome walked through the doors, her hanyou companion in tow.<p>

"InuYasha!" Souta was always enthusiastic to see the hanyou and went about his usual assault of questions.

"Wow! Look at those claws, how sharp are those claws, InuYasha? Are they sharper than Buyo's? Why do you always wear that robe – don't you have any other clothes? How do you grow your hair so long?"

Mama Higuarashi hugged her daughter warmly. "I'm glad you could make it back, Kagome," she whispered and turned to acknowledge InuYasha politely. "Thank you, for letting Kagome take some time off. This is a very important time for our family."

"Yeah," he replied, always more polite in the presense of Kagome's family than he usually was. "Three days will be enough?"

"Yes, well," Mama clapped her hands together and sought something she'd kept hidden in a cupboard. "Here are the tickets to the ball." Mama handed Kagome two glittering silver tickets. "Its tomorrow night, and don't worry, I've already gotten you a dress and made a hair appointment: and I'm sure InuYasha will fit into your father's old suits."

"Guess who's gonna be my date," Souta bragged, tugging on his sister's sleeve. "Yumi, from school."

Kagome scoffed. "I'm surprised you could even get a date, you're such a little snot-nosed brat."

"Kagome!" tutted her grandfather, "Don't be so rude to your brother. Now Souta, hurry up and get ready for bed, you've got a big day tomorrow!"

Souta ran up the stairs then, and Kagome followed, ushering InuYasha up. The hanyou followed obediently, hating feeling more like a dog than ever, to a small white room that he distinctly remembered from the many boiling baths he'd had to endure with Souta. Kagome was running water out of a tap, her hands testing for the right temperature.

"What are you doing?" he asked curiously, sniffing a fragrant bottle.

"Drawing you a bath," she replied. "You need to at least bathe before you head to bed. Hungry?"

"Stop taking care of me, Kagome," he huffed and began to untie his fire rat robe. Kagome quickly snatched it from his grasp, earning a pissed off cry from the hanyou. "I don't need no one takin' care of me! Now give me back my robe."

"You won't be needing it," she replied and sniffed the garment. "It's so old and dirty, I'll get Mum to wash it for you."

"I won't leave the house without my fire rat!" he cried from the bathroom as Kagome disappeared down the hallways of her home.

"Good!" she replied. "At least something might keep you inside!" Remembering the time InuYasha had delivered her lunch to school, and the frenzy he'd caused in Tokyo was on Kagome's mind. He was dangerously close to exposing his secret that day; and she'd felt sorry for the poor scientists who attempted to drag him away to study him further. Sometimes, InuYasha really was ignorant to the ways and cruelty of some of the humans in this time, more wicked than the discrimination he faced back in his time.

Kagome had a shower in her mother's ensuite, changing into her pyjamas and tossing InuYasha a pair of cotton boxes. "Sleep in these," she ordered as he appeared, wrapped in only a bath towel, hanging from the 'v' on his hips to his calves.

"I'll just sleep in my hakama," he replied and tossed the pants into a basket.

"Too late," replied Kagome. "They're all wet. You'll have to sleep in my clothes."

InuYasha growled and slammed the bathroom door on Kagome. How dare she take his clothes! The future garments were smaller and constricting; although the shorts were a size too big for him, InuYasha snarled when every curve of his body was on show through the thin cotton. His embarrassment would be seen, unlike times before where the baggy fabric of the hakama concealed it. He'd have to be more alert, and have more self-control when the miko got a little too close, or brushed up to him, or when sometimes, on lazy afternoons he allowed his mind to wander…

Kagome had made up a small bed for InuYasha on the floor of her room. Although, one occasion they had shared a bed upon InuYasha's first real victory of Naraku, he had been too tired to move, so Kagome had merely snuggled in beside him. That was a mistake: evidently, InuYasha enjoyed the comforts of her bed more than he'd be happy to reveal: he'd kicked her and pushed her and rolled on top of her. Kagome had barely gotten a wink of sleep when the alarm clock buzzed, but InuYasha acted as if he'd awoken from the best sleep he'd had in decades.

No, this time he would sleep on the floor. The hanyou crawled onto the futon, inspecting it for a moment, before rolling onto his back.

"They look good," Kagome muttered the words even before she'd thought about them.

"What?" InuYasha had heard her, his impeccable senses didn't miss much. But he acted as if he was distracted with whatever he'd found underneath her desk: a book, and from the small extract he'd read, a saucy one at that.

"I said those shorts fit you well," she replied, thankful to have been able to cover up her mistake.

"Kagome?" he muttered, flicking through the book. "What's a playboy?"

"Eep!" Kagome reached across and snatched the saucy book from the hanyou. "You shouldn't read this book, InuYasha."

He grinned. "Why not? Something I shouldn't be reading?" he snatched it back just as quickly and flicked through it, until his acute vision found the paragraph he'd been looking for. "You read this?" he blanched at the crudely written sex scene: it was gory and graphic, and hell, he would be damned if he wasn't slightly turned on knowing that Kagome had read it, and evidently liked it. Why else would he still find the book lying around in her room? "That's wrong," he muttered in feign disgust.

"I told you not to read it," she muttered. "And it's my mother's."

"What's it doin' in your room then?"

Kagome shifted awkwardly under the hanyou's gaze and shrugged. "Buyo must have brought it in, or something…"

"Yeah," he scoffed and settled down onto the futon. "Whatever, Kagome."

"So," her chocolate eyes travelled to the roof and she shifted uncomfortably under the hanyou's gaze. "Thanks for comin' with me, InuYasha. We won't be out for very long tomorrow night?"

"Why?" he snorted. "Where are you goin' tomorrow night?"

What? Kagome frowned, he really didn't know? Did he not listen to a word her mother had been saying to him?

"The festival is tomorrow night, and I'm taking you…" she fidgeted with the hem of the bedspread. "That's alright, isn't it? Everything's already organised.

"Huh? You… and me?" he frowned. "Going out. Together?"

"Yeah," she replied. "It will be nice."

InuYasha didn't respond after that. Perhaps it would be nice; they rarely had time to themselves the past few weeks, and time out with none other than Kagome, InuYasha realised, had been what he really wanted. It would be good for them to have some fun together, and Kagome assured him it would be a good time. It would be good for him… for her – for them.

When InuYasha awoke late than morning, Kagome was already gone. The damn futon always made him sleep overtime: he would have been awake at the crack of dawn if he'd slept outside. But with the screens she had over her window and the comfort of the futon, his body indulged in a sleep in. But where had Kagome gotten to? She wasn't down the kitchen, or the living room. She wasn't having a shower, in fact, all of the family, saved for Buyo the cat, were absent.

And then he smelt it, a scent of a mixture of incense and salty water: tears. Her mother was crying, kneeling by the family temple of desceased members, paying respects to her long-gone father. InuYasha watched Kagome's crouched form silently by the temple. A hand flew to her mouth to stifle a sob as Souta read a message.

"Hi dad," he said softly. "I miss you, still. I am going well in school…"

Feeling guilty, InuYasha turned away. He didn't have a right to spy on their sacred rituals, and instead, went to bathe in Kagome's tub. There was a glass box he tried to use, but he didn't understand how it worked; it ran cold and boiling hot; at least the bathtub was simple.

"InuYasha?" Mama called through the door. "Are you in there, sweetheart?"

"Uh," InuYasha blushed at the pet name. "Yeah…"

"I'll leave some casual clothes out by the door, come and get them when you're ready and come down for breakfast."

When InuYasha descended for breakfast, Kagome had finished hers and was about to run out the door. "Oh, InuYasha!"

"Where are you runnin' off to so early in the morning?"

"I have to run into town for a few errands," she muttered. "Before the stylist comes around this afternoon… do you want to come, InuYasha?"

The hanyou perked up. "Come where?"

"Into the city, we'll only be about an hour… Come on, I'll buy you some breakfast."

InuYasha nodded, but Mama disagreed. "Oh come here, InuYasha," she said, grabbing a black bandana and bravely fitting it over his ears. "People here might not be as… accepting of these little things as we are. It's for the best if you just keep them covered." InuYasha shrugged off Mama's hands when she'd adjusted the bandana: he didn't like anyone touching him up there, Mama could have just handed the bandana to him and he would have figured it out. That's what he hated when he came to stay with the Higurashi family; Mama treated him as a pup. And he wasn't a pup no more.

Kagome ushered him to hurry up or get left behind as she grabbed the keys to the family car.

The car, as Kagome called it, was a strange looking teal beast, made from metal. It was covered in glass, and Kagome instructed InuYasha to sit on the other side, opening the door with a small level. Upon entry, Kagome leant across the width of InuYasha's body, making him tense, to grasp the seatbelt and buckle it next to the clasp near his rear.

"What's this thing?"

"A car," Kagome replied and ignited the engine. "We'll get into the city quicker this way."

It was evident that InuYasha didn't enjoy the car ride as Kagome travelled further and further into the city, his claws dug into the sides of the chair and the sounds that came from inside the car 'the radio' as Kagome called it, hurt his ears. When Kagome wound down his window, however, and a cool breeze flowed through the compartment, InuYasha relaxed considerably slow. Kagome laughed to himself, as much as he didn't want to admit it, InuYasha was part dog, and dogs loved feeling the wind beat against their faces.

Kagome pulled into Wacdnlds drive-thru, ordering a coffee for herself and a bacon and egg muffin for her hungry hanyou companion.

"Breakfast is served," she said and tossed him the muffin. "Eat up."

"What is this, Kagome," he sniffed the rubbery egg. "Bacon?"

"Yeah."

"Doesn't smell like normal bacon." He bit it apprehensively. "Doesn't _taste_ like normal bacon."

"It's special bacon," was all she could reply. How could she possibly tell him it was genetically altered? Sure, she couldn't taste the difference, but InuYasha had such sensitive tastebuds. He ate the muffin, however, and then stole Kagome's hot cup of coffee.

"What's this?" he sniffed.

"Coffee," she replied and turned left. "Don't drink it."

"Why not?" he seemed irritated and so took a quick sip. As if he would do what Kagome told him! "Oh, yuck Kagome, what is this shit?"

"Coffee," she replied. "Chocolate coffee," she stole back the cup and placed it by the transmission. "And chocolate is not good for dogs… and neither is coffee, I think."

InuYasha grumbled and crossed his arms over his chest. The clothes he wore were tight and uncomfortable, but at least they weren't too revealing. A pair of baggy jeans, down the side of which, he could easily hide Tetsusaiga from view, as Mrs. Higurashi had told him it didn't look good to walk around with such a sword in the public view – people weren't that dangerous. Apart from the dark jeans, he had on a black tank top, covered with a white cotton long sleeve shirt, which, he supposed, was as modest as he could get without wearing his haori. The white sneakers, however, of which he had chosen to be the most comfortable out of all the shoes Mama had presented, were tight and constricting, and rubbed against his heel. Of course, having such thick skin, InuYasha wouldn't blister or have any serious discomfort, but the socks were sweaty and the shoes were tight. What ridiculous clothes he had to wear!

Kagome, however, wore a summery dress she'd quickly picked from her closet and had tied her flowing hair back, exposing the creaminess of the bare skin of her neck, a sight which, InuYasha wouldn't readily admit, made his mouth water. He didn't really like the idea of other males seeing her like this, but he didn't have a choice: they weren't together, hell, Naraku had only just been killed. Kagome was catching up on her studies like a mad woman, now, finishing her final year of high school she was so lucky to have gotten in with in the first place…

"I just need to pick up the clothes from the dry cleaners," she smiled and parked the car. "Do you want to come in, or stay in the car?"

"I'll come in," he replied, curious to look around her time. He followed Kagome almost obediently as she walked down a stretch of shops, like the marketplace in a village, before going into a blue room.

"Hi! Mr. Iwate? Are you there, it's me, Kagome!"

"Kagome!" an old man called fondly. "Hey, Daiki, get Miss Higurashi's garments, would you!"

The young boy, Daiki, came from the back room and bowed slightly to Kagome. "Kagome-sama, how nice it is to see you again." InuYasha glowered. "Your garments are ready. I will just fetch them."

Kagome gathered and paid for the four pieces of clothing she'd had steam-cleaned and altered: her dress, her mother's dress, her brother's suit and InuYasha's suit, which was an old one of her father's, kept because her mother loved it so. He would fit – Kagome had done the measurements already, taking the liberty to measure his clothes when InuYasha was bathing. Sure, she scoffed, so she'd been planning such an event with him for a little while now – they both knew they needed some sort of break, some sort of holiday together. Who knew what would happen now that Naraku was dead – their common goal together finally accomplished, of which held them together, would perhaps lead them to part ways. No, Kagome's heart wrenched.

InuYasha took three of the heavy garments silently from Kagome, who evidently would have struggled with the weight of them all. And he most certainly wasn't gonna let _Daiki_ help: pah! She muttered a quick thanks and popped the boot of the car. "Alright," she clapped as InuYasha set the garments in gently. "That's it."

"That's all you came in for?" he rolled his eyes.

"Yep," she shut the boot's lid and moved back to the driver's door. "Let's get back – I'm excited to see if it will fit."

* * *

><p>Now, he was definitely not comfortable! In Kagome's room in only his Fundoshi was not his idea of a great scenario – especially in front of her mother. What the fuck had she been doing? She'd closed the door and told him to take off his clothes – what the fuck was he supposed to think, and when he hesitated, she began to do it for him! Now he was all but naked, with only his undergarments protecting his manhood, and all sense of modesty gone. Did this house know what privacy was? Sure, maybe he wouldn't have minded if it was Kagome who'd taken off his clothes, providing he was taking off hers as well, but her mother?<p>

"Kagome!" he cried in a strained voice, hoping the miko would come and save him. Desperately, he tried to slink around the woman to retrieve his clothes.

"Oh, your fundoshi is so nice," Mama said as she began to unzip the suit out of its protective packaging. "It's so relieving to see traditional clothes in this day and age."

"Kagome!" he called again and made a grab for the door. Mama blocked the way. And he didn't have the guts to cause physical pain to escape the situation. Then again; he hadn't used Blades of Blood in such a long time…

"Come now!" laughed Mama. "I've seen it all before – besides, we're only trying on your suit, InuYasha, it's not like it's going to kill you."

Relief swept across his face when the door cracked and Kagome poked her head in. "Ah!" she cried, upon seeing the almost-naked hanyou. "InuYasha! Put on some clothes. Mother, what are you doing to him?"

"I only wanted to see if the clothes fitted," she giggled. "But he seems to be uncomfortable with me being in here!"

"You're damn right I'm uncomfortable! Now get out!"

Kagome pulled her mother through the door. "Mama," she whispered. "InuYasha's from a different time place; please don't make him feel uncomfortable – he isn't as open to sitting in his undergarments as other people are, it's all about modesty. Besides," and she said it loud enough for InuYasha to hear, "I'm sure InuYasha is big enough and strong enough to put his own pants on Mama. Souta, however, might need some help."

That statement made a smirk cross InuYasha's features as he fumbled to put on the dress pants.

Mama, who seemingly forgot about her own son, rushed off to check on him. It was of no use however; as Souta came down the hallway fully dressed, save for a loose tie, eating a packet of crisps.

"Hey sis, nice dress," he grinned as InuYasha came out of her bedroom, dressed in a pair of black pants and a crisp white t-shirt. "You look like Artemis, if only you had your bow."

"Who's Art-e-mis?" asked InuYasha as Kagome adjusted his collar of his shirt.

"Artemis is the twin sister of Apollo, and she's the Greek Goddess of Nature and Women. She has a bow, like Kagome." With Kagome's skin tanned a bronze glow from her trips around feudal Japan, and her luscious glossy raven hair, the golden dress did make her look heavenly: it was like the golden silk had been wrapped around her top-half, making her breasts look bountiful and clinging to her stunning curves. The bottom half of the dress was poker straight silk, finishing at Kagome's ankles. There was a large split on the left, giving show to her divine calves and milky thighs. On her feet were the strangest shoes InuYasha had ever seen, in nude, with a large platform and heel.

"You look nice," Kagome smiled as she adjusted the shirt. Her fingers suddenly delved into the hem of his pants, rubbing against sensitive naval skin and InuYasha snarled. "The suit fits well."

"I don't like this," he muttered.

"Don't worry," she whispered saucily, stepping in to push his bangs back in place. "There's free food – and it'll be good."

For a moment, Kagome worried about his topaz eyes, completely unnatural for any human. She save hadn't worried for that, however, than the ears that laid concealed under the black bandana, which didn't really go with the suit. But who cared, she scoffed, there would be much worse dressed people than InuYasha and his bandana, certainly, there would be something much more important to discuss.

He hadn't noticed Kagome had tied a piece of fabric around his neck until she yanked him closer to her, his hands falling on the sides of her hips in surprise. She grinned devilishly and giggled as she began tying the navy tie before adjusting the collar once again.

"Kagome, don't you look beautiful," crooned Grandpa. "And InuYasha, handsome."

"Thanks, Gramps." She smiled.

"You'd better hurry up – your mother's waiting in the car."

* * *

><p>InuYasha didn't like this festival. He didn't like it one bit. Mainly because there were so many men around, young and old, and Kagome was looking perfectly decadent in such a revealing dress. He didn't like the way it showed so much skin around her chest and neck; he didn't like the way it wrapped around her like a fitted sheet, embossed with diamonds and glittering gems, he didn't like the dipped back which showed him the contours of her back, and admittedly, some of the scars from wounds she'd had. And he most definitely didn't like that split, that came from her ankle to the top of her thigh. Wait – there was the perfect outline of her rear in such a dress, InuYasha could only notice it three steps behind her as he were. Was she <em>even<em> wearing a fundoshi? For a moment he pondered reaching forward with a hand and finding out…

"Higurashi!" a man bounded over to Kagome. "Wow, what a stunner!"

"Hojo!" cried Kagome and embraced her friend, in a rather… well, friendly way. She didn't press her body against Hojo; however, InuYasha smirked, like she did with him. "Thanks, you don't look too bad yourself."

"Hey, so I knew comin' to this thing tonight dateless was a good idea," he grinned. "Can I steal a dance tonight, Higurashi?"

InuYasha then decided to made his presence much known to the young man and moved to press his side to Kagome's. A hand touched the small of her back gently. "Ah, sorry, Hojo but I have a date tonight, InuYasha."

The boy wasn't deterred. "I'm sure InuYasha knows how to share."

"Wouldn't count on it," replied the hanyou stiffly.

"Well," Hojo, nerved my InuYasha's topaz glare, backed off. "I'll see you after the ceremony, Higurashi."

The ceremony, InuYasha sighed, dragged on. He didn't really know what it was about, and Souta's girlfriend, Yumi, was stepping on his foot under the table. He grinned when he realised it was a game and stamped back, earning a stifled cry of pain from the fifteen-year-old. She recovered however, and stamped back, and that was when Kagome cried out a yelp of pain and grabbed her sore foot.

"Oops," muttered Yumi who took a long drink from her water. "InuYasha started it!"

"Did not!" he cried.

"Shut it," seethed Kagome. "Both of you."

InuYasha didn't know what can-cer was, but it was obvious that a lot of people suffered from it. Kagome's father had died from it, and suddenly Souta was on stage, shaking and sweating and pulling out a crumpled piece of paper.

"What's the brat doin' up there?" muttered InuYasha.

"The committee asked him to make a speech," whispered Kagome.

Souta adjusted the microphone at the lecturn and cleared his voice. "I-I…," he muttered, but then seemed to grow in confidence. "I- I never knew my father. He died from bowel cancer before I was born. From the photos and videos my mother kept of my father, I've slowly been able to make up a picture of what he would have been like. His name was Haru Higurashi, and he worked in the management department of a large electricity company. I never knew my father, but that doesn't mean I never loved him…"

Souta finished his speech and the microphone was handed back over to the president of the committee. "We would just like say a special thanks to the Higurashi family, over on table three, who lost Haru Higurashi to cancer over fifteen years ago. They are a spectacular family and willingly donate their money and time to finding a way to beat cancer. Haru's eldest daughter, Kagome Higurashi, has just celebrated her eighteenth birthday and has grown into a beautiful young woman." Kagome blushed fiercely as wolf-whistles erupted throughout the tables, all of which were aimed at her. "And we loved Souta's superb speech. So please, put your hands together for them."

Kagome, it was evident, had loosened up by the small amount of alcohol she'd consumed before dinner. So when the tables were cleared and the DJ began to play music, she was happy to shake her pretty little arse out on the dance floor. InuYasha cocked his head… fundoshi or no fundoshi, he still couldn't tell. But her arse was perky and plump and spectacularly clung to the golden fabric of her dress. InuYasha knew, because of that shout-out earlier, he wasn't the only one who was watching Kagome move with other women out on the dance floor.

"Gonna go dance with Kagome, InuYasha?" asked Souta, who was holding the hand of his girlfriend.

"Pah, no," he replied. "I don't dance."

"Whatever," Souta grinned. "Dancing is fun – me and Yumi do it all the time."

"Hm," he ignored the boy and he began to walk away. Suddenly feeling a twinge of guilt, he called. "Oi, Souta."

"Yeah?" Souta swivelled around.

"Good talkin' up there tonight."

"Hey, thanks InuYasha," he smiled and then directed his woman out to the dance floor. Kagome saw them and danced beside Souta, grabbing his arms and flailing them around madly, laughing all the while. Souta then whispered something in her ear, and Kagome's chocolate eyes flicked up to InuYasha, her lips twisting in a devilish smile.

She sauntered towards him and he gulped. Well, he thought it was sauntering; her hips were moving provocatively, and the dress was riding further up her thigh. The room was now full of sweaty bodies, of young males and females, and the scent of arousal was laden in the air. She was only a few metres from where he was sitting, when Kagome was interrupted by Hojo, who took her gently on the elbow and steered her away for a dance.

"Not a very good date," he muttered and grinned.

"I was just about to go and get him, Hojo," muttered Kagome, who, upon breaking eye contact with the hanyou, couldn't seem to find him again.

"No matter, just have a dance with me." The boy placed his hands on her hips as the music slowed. Kagome sighed; she couldn't find InuYasha, and one little dance couldn't hurt.

That was it, one little dance. Hojo let her go with a wink after the song ended, and Kagome left. But InuYasha was no where to be found; had he gone home? Hell, she even checked the men's toilets for the demon: the top of the roof, even out in the gardens in the trees, but he wasn't anywhere.

As the night progressed, everyone, including Mama, got drunker. They got drunker and the dancing became not so innocent. Souta, as underage, and his girlfriend had been taken home half-an-hour earlier and now it was time for the _adults_ to dance. And, Kagome noticed the grinding and bumping of some of the members, they certainly weren't wasting any time.

"Dance?" a voice asked and Kagome spun around hopeful of her hanyou friend.

"Hojo…," she muttered.

"Disappointed?" he frowned.

"I just can't find my date," she admitted with a sigh. "And I owe him a dance."

"Well," the boy's chocolate eyes glimmered mischievously. "I could always take it for him, and pass it on…"

"Not likely," spat a harsh and distinct voice from behind Hojo. "I've already seen you have your hands over my w… date, now back off."

Hojo scrambled out of the way. No way was InuYasha goin' to allow the pathetic excuse for a male dance in such a… _sexual_ way, with Kagome. He'd allowed the pissy little dance he'd given her earlier in the evening, but not now. Kagome was his, and he'd be a dead man before he'd let her get touched in a way by any other male.

"You know how to dance, InuYasha?" Kagome smiled and wrapped her fingers around his tie to bring him closer.

His hands touched her hips gently. "No," he replied huskily, his hot breath caressing her dry lips. She licked them, if only to relieve the dryness, gazing up into the hanyou's eyes which smouldered with an emotion Kagome just couldn't describe.

"I'll teach you," she whispered and stepped closer to his body. "Just follow me…" Kagome's hands travelled to touch his broad shoulders, rubbing the bare flesh exposed on his neck. Soon, he was moving with her, in time to the heavy beat, not only copying her but taking control. In places like this, InuYasha learnt very quickly what he could do and soon his fingers moved from her hips and began to touch the bare skin of her lower back.

The scent that she was giving off told him just how much their dancing was effecting her, and so he pressed himself against her body harder, so that hips were grinding against hips, he could feel her breasts pressed against his shirt. It was at that time he decided to find out once and for all a suspicion that had been eating at him all night. A hand crept down, and feeling more like Miroku than ever, InuYasha softly squeezed a perky cheek of Kagome's ass.

She was wearing a fundoshi, he discovered. His hands trailed over the strap at her hips as he began touching the skin of her back again. Kagome smiled at the hanyou's touching; it was quenching a need she'd had for so long: to be touched and caressed by this man, but at the same time aroused more needs that needed to be fulfilled.

Kagome's body was getting hot and sweaty, she was beginning to give off the signals that she wanted him, her scent was spiked with arousal and she was touching him in all the right places: nape of the neck, chest and gut, delving in to pop a few buttons. Beads of sweat travelled down the dip between her breasts, and InuYasha resisted the urge to lick it out of the crevasse. She was panting heavily in his ear, her hips rolling provocatively into his.

The entire dance floor could have been watching their show, but he didn't care. Kagome was responding to his actions in just the way he wanted to and he'd be damned if it wasn't turning him on. Looking around in case they really were looking at them, InuYasha noticed that they were hidden away rather well, in a corner opposite a doorway of the hot room. It was late at night, and the stench of alcohol reeked through the room, that and the need for sex. Somehow it had become a civilised festival in honouring the deceased, to an all out sex-fuelled disco. That wasn't a surprise, Kagome had told him before that these things got wild, and that they were supposed to: the more money on the bar, half was given to charity. InuYasha, scanning the crowd, saw one dance movement a male and his woman, of whom was wearing less clothing than Kagome, and perked his interest.

Without moving from their spot in a darkened corner, InuYasha squeezed himself behind Kagome's body, running his hands across her stomach and feeling her hips roll for her perky rear to rub him the right way. She grinned when a soft moan was caught by her ear, one which slipped through his self-control he tried so hard to keep up. Her hands grasped his and urged him to explore her body in the darkness of the corner as she moved to cup the side of his cheek. Another hard grind and he whimpered without restraint.

Kagome turned her head to the side to meet his, his eyes darkening with evoked desire. Without asking for permission, she slipped a hot tongue into his mouth before taking it out just as quickly. He growled and moved in to do the same, their tongues meeting in hot, needy clashes as she continued to grind her backside against his hips.

"Kagome," he whispered her name huskily against the shell of her ear.

A feeling made her stomach twist into a sickening coil as he began to move his hands down her hips. The way he was saying her name: so hotly, so full of desire… and carnal need. It turned her on in ways she couldn't explain, to know that he could need her so badly. Her legs began to shake, and she knew that when her arm reached to bury itself in his hair as his lips began to trail incessant, fiery kisses down the side of her neck, that he wanted her as much as she wanted him.

InuYasha, in turn, smelt the arousal that drifted from her. It told him everything he needed to know and so much more: she was hot for him and that every action he did only turned her on just so much more. She reciprocated those movements when she ground her ass into him, and he had to suppress the urge to push her down onto the floor like the way he would have liked to.

It was Kagome's turn to whimper into InuYasha's ear this time as he trailed hot kisses down her neck and his claws tickled the soft flesh of her thigh. When he stopped, he took Kagome's left right earlobe in his mouth and pulled it down with his teeth, snickering. "You're a good dancer," he whispered into her wet ear. Kagome smiled slyly and rolled her hips again, bending her knees to shimmy down the length of his body, running a hand from his neck, down his chest until just above the hem of his pants. InuYasha growled.

"We need to get out of this place," he muttered.

Kagome grinned. "Why? The night's only young."

He yanked her up by the arm and pinned her back against his chest. His teeth nipped at her neck, before he suckled her earlobe again. Her body was slick with sweat, and the dress clung to her every curve. The scent she emitted only turned him on more, if such a thing was possible. "You have no idea," he growled. "Of the dirty things I want to do to you…"

* * *

><p>Like that? I bet you did. I think you can see where the next chapter is heading…<p>

If you enjoyed this chapter, don't hesitate to tell me so! I la-la-love to hear from readers. Click review and write me a small (or large!) message.

~xo. Arlia'Devi.


	2. Part 2

**DANCING IN THE DARK**

By Arlia'Devi

- "Dancing in the Dark" was nominated for best lemon by the Feudal Association.

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha: rights go entirely to Rumiko Takahashi and associates. I make no money from this.

**RATED****M**: please, heed the warning. There's a lemon ahead. If you don't like, or if you don't want to read, please press 'back' now. This chapter has been rated in accordance with this website's rating's policy of **M **and has been edited accordingly.

**~ Dancing in the Dark ~**

by Arlia'Devi.

It was the way he looked at her that turned Kagome on the most as they exited the foundation ball at a little past one – it was as if he could eat her whole, right then and there in the streets of Tokyo. And Kagome had to admit, that if he really did try at eat her, she wouldn't stop the exquisite torture he'd give her. She knew he knew it: she wanted him as much as he wanted her.

"Do I smell good?" she asked as the stumbled out of the doors of the hall, still very much coupled. InuYasha pressed her up against the wall of the hall, forcing himself between her legs, giving Kagome no option but to wrap them around his body.

"You smell so fuckin' good, Kagome," he gasped and ran the flat of his tongue down her neck, then between the dip of her breasts. He kissed her then, a mash of tongue lips and teeth. "But we need'a get out of the open."

Kagome would have fallen to the ground, the speed that he untangled her legs from him and stepped away, save had it been for his arm which caught her waist.

"I was hoping to get the bus back to the house," she muttered and stumbled forward. The bus wouldn't be back for another hour, and she wasn't sure she could wait that long.

Out in the open, Kagome's scent was much more potent. Inside, it had been masked by everyone else, their needs and desire for sex; Kagome had been like the scent of worn perfume. Now, outside, he might as well have sniffed it from the bottle. It became evident to him, also, that Kagome had perhaps had a little too much to drink.

"How much have you had to drink, Kagome?" he asked as she stumbled forward.

"Two," she replied and poked out her tongue.

"Put that tongue away before I bite it off," he grinned. "You ain't walking very straight, are ya sure you've had only two?"

"Well," she whispered hotly into his ear. "When you've been grinding next to a demon for the last half-an-hour, his hands touching you everywhere and whispering sex into your ear, you'd be damned if you were walking on wobbly legs as well…"

He licked the shell of her ear and delved to squeeze the cheeks of her buttocks with both hands. They were still on the steps to the hall, however, and they needed to get out of Tokyo city – perhaps if they were in the feudal era he may have found a nice patch of field to lay her down in, but in Tokyo, where everything was built and full of people, he'd get no such luck. Looking around, there was no one around, and the doors to the disco had been closed upon their exit. InuYasha gathered Kagome into his arms and made a bee-line for her house, leaping into the star-studded sky.

Kagome stumbled into the house when InuYasha let her down, inspecting slowly before stepping forward. Buyo, who was sleeping by the doormat, let out a terrible hiss and snarl as Kagome's pumps crushed his tail, and dashed into the lounge room.

"Oh Buyo!" she whispered. "I'm so sorry."

"The cat will be fine," InuYasha pushed her through the door. "Hurry up."

"Mama's asleep," Kagome whispered. From the snoring heard, it seemed that Grandpa was too. Souta and his girlfriend were having a sleep over in the rumpus room, and InuYasha assured that they were asleep too.

He began to kiss her mouth incessantly as Kagome kicked off her heels. His tongue delved to taste her, rubbing against her own as they found for dominance. As Kagome gave submission, InuYasha advanced on Kagome's body, taking her up in by the hips and positioning her on the family dining table.

Without another word, he climbed overtop and pushed her back. Kagome's feet pressed against the table before her left leg, exposed by the slit in her dress, hitched itself onto InuYasha's hip. The hanyou growled in appreciation as his hands ran down to touch the small, lacy strap of her future-model fundoshi. When he began to kiss between her breasts, running his hot, wet tongue over the sweaty skin, Kagome couldn't help but moan loudly. Instantly her hand flew to her mouth.

InuYasha chuckled into her flesh. "Be quiet, miko – do you want the entire house to hear you?"

"I can't be quiet," she gasped and her words turned to mush as he purposely ground his hips against hers, hitting the right spot. "Let's go to the feudal era."

InuYasha chuckled as Kagome tried to get up, but he merely pinned her against the table and pressed the length of his body against his. "No."

Kagome groaned in frustration as he began his torturous ministrations all over again. Evidently, eventually he became frustrated, too, with the amount of flesh he had to work with; he'd kissed and rubbed every inch that the dress would allow. It had to come off. His claws sought out the zipper.

Kagome took that opportunity to grasp his tie and pull him in for a deep, heated kiss, nibbling his bottom lip and earning a low groan of pleasure from deep within the hanyou's throat.

"Is someone down there?" an old voice called and a light flicked on.

"Fuck!" hissed Kagome and squirmed from his grasp. It didn't work, however, and soon both she and InuYasha toppled from the dining table to the hard floor below. Quickly recovering and ignoring the pain from taking the brunt of the fall, Kagome scuttled into the walk in pantry, dragging InuYasha by the sleeve to follow as Gramps flicked on the kitchen light. The pantry door shut closed quietly.

Gramps looked around the kitchen as Kagome kept her hand on the pantry door, for in the worst case she'd pretend it was locked. InuYasha however, had propped himself up behind her body and was proceeding to kiss down the exposed back of her dress and roll his hips into her behind, like at the disco. Kagome fought the urge to groan as Gramps snooped about the kitchen, noticing Kagome and InuYasha's shoes by the doorway.

"Huh," he pushed them over with his stick. "Kagome and her friend must be home. I wonder what time they wandered through…"

"Stop it," she kicked the hanyou away, but he merely caught her foot. And then a wickedly evil thought popped into his head: he dipped his hot mouth down and caught Kagome's big toe. Keeping a firm grip on her kicking leg, he carefully sucked off one toe before going to another, all the while enjoying making the state he wanted her grandfather to find her in: flushed and heated, and utterly embarrassed.

Gramps still wandered around the kitchen: he opened the back screen and looked out into the night, before it seems, he was satisfied and made his way back to bed. Kagome waited a moment before taking her hand off the doorknob and turning to the sadistic hanyou behind her.

"You're such an ass," she gritted as InuYasha made advances on her body, crawling on top until Kagome realised she had been pressed onto the floor, again.

"We can stay in here," he murmured into her neck. "It stinks of onion and garlic… But then at least you could make a little noise."

Kagome squirmed free of InuYasha and opened the pantry door. Gathering her pumps from the door, she wordlessly made her way up to the bedroom, knowing InuYasha was following her all the way. When she entered her bedroom, he closed the door.

"Did you have a good time tonight?" she asked and began removing bobby-pins from her hair. His hands crept around her waist and she felt his hot breath against her cheek. He nuzzled a nod against her face.

Kagome turned then, to undo the tie and unfasten the white shirt while he took off his itching socks. Her shaky fingers fumbled with the knots, and InuYasha's eyes burned with desire while watching her. Quickly, his chin dipped to claim her lips in short heated burst. He did it again and again, until Kagome wrapped her arms around his neck and his tie fell to the ground.

The hanyou didn't need any inducements, Kagome's actions and her scent said enough to pick her up and place her gently on the pink doona of her bed. "I think," he whispered between clashes of lips. "This is," kiss, "exactly," kiss, "what we needed," kiss, 'Kagome."

"Take off my dress," she whispered heatedly as InuYasha's white shirt fell to the floor. She raked her fingernails down his chest.

InuYasha's claws sought out the zipper for the dress, knowing he very well couldn't rip it off, as though he wanted too – the dress was expensive, and god, it looked good on her too. Once he'd located the zipper – from the top of her ass to the base -, he yanked it down and ripped the dress off her body and earned a surprised squeak from his woman. The dress dropped to the floor in a flutter of glittering gold fabric. Now, she lie beside him, her hair draped over her blushing cheeks and chest, in only a nude, strapless bra and a lacy red thong.

A claw reached to touch the flesh he was exploring with his eyes, to twist around her back and unlatch the bra he didn't know how he knew how to undo. That was slowly removed, giving InuYasha a view of bountiful breasts and sensitive rose nipples. Slowly, gauging the reaction of his woman, he took a small pink nipple into his mouth. Kagome had become shy in her nakedness – no longer was she grinding and moaning his name like a heated minx, but her hands moved to grasp the sheet to cover herself. InuYasha took the sheet away, but Kagome only let it fall to her waist, suddenly self-conscious.

"Oh, Kagome…," he whispered and rolled the woman onto her back. Slowly, he traced a line of open mouthed kisses down the length of her stomach, only stopping where the square of her thong began. That area was where her scent was the strongest, and it made his mouth water to know how much she truly wanted him. He closed his eyes for a moment and gorged on the exquisite scent. The woman beneath him whimpered in pleasure.

The barrier he'd erected around himself was hard to break – sometimes, just as she thought a few bricks had been broken down, the next morning they'd be built back up again and re-enforced. All Kagome wanted, nay, _needed_ to hear were those three simple words. She had said them to him, many times, and it had been okay. He had so little joy in his life; she knew it would be alright to let him know that at least someone loved him. But now, he was taking that love for granted; using it up and tossing it to the side the next morning. That was what she was really afraid for – to wake up and his form to be gone, the place where he lie to be cold. She'd never be able to mend a broken heart caused by him.

"InuYasha," she moaned softly as a claw came up to tease a nipple softly and his lips suckled on her other breast like a babe. "I need to tell you something…"

Instantly fearing the worst, the hanyou's head shot up – what could she possibly need to tell him now? What was so important that it couldn't wait? He imagined it to be something along the lines of 'I don't want this' or 'there's someone else'. "What is it?"

"I..." a hand moved to caress his cheek softly. "I love you."

She had said it to him before, InuYasha remembered, but it had never been like this. He looked into her eyes: never had they been so open, so deep and permeable, as if all emotions were about to pour out at any second. He scrutinised how he must have looked: cold and emotionless compared to her; what was wrong with him? He was in the arms of such a loving, trusting creature – hell, he would have trusted Kagome with his life, and yet his mouth choked to reciprocate. She seemed to understand and moved to kiss his lips softly. "S'okay."

"No," he replied gruffly. "It's not okay, Kagome." How could it ever be okay when he couldn't even say those simple words? He considered saying it differently, but just saying 'I like you a lot' just didn't have the same effect.

"You don't have to say it," she replied and relaxed underneath him, as if she was somehow urging him to continue, like she was okay with it all. "I know it's difficult for you."

"Kagome…," he muttered and kissed the soft flesh of her collarbone. He had to say something... _anything_! "You're the only person I trust. Y-You're the only woman w-who I think about." His mind froze then, only his arms kept moving under the sheets, touching the skin of her body and making a picture in his mind. Carefully, his hands curled around hers, tugging the sheet from where she grasped it at her hips. "Let me see," he whimpered softly and she eventually obliged. InuYasha tossed the sheet to the end of the bed and his eyes gorged on Kagome's tanned, womanly body. She had curves in all the right places, exactly the image he'd pictured in his head all those years. Her lean neck and shoulders, then the swell of her breasts to her tiny waist, all were touched softly by a caressing claw. Meanwhile, Kagome adverted his gaze, mortified she was under such scrutiny in her nakedness. His hand moved to her side, over her hour-glass hips and down her thighs. "You're beautiful, Kagome."

She smiled and kissed him softly. "It's alright InuYasha, you don't have to say it. I know you love me, deep down."

At least she knew, he argued, but still it didn't make it feel any better.

"You know what you can do?" she whispered saucily. His eyes searched for an answer and he shrugged. "You can _show_ me just how much you love me…"

He grinned. "I think I can do that…" and took her lips feverishly, running his tongue along the curve of her bottom lip before asking for entrance. He got it; he would always get it, and in the middle of the kiss, Kagome bit down on his lip. She bit down hard, making his insides turn to mush and a horrible, pleasure-filled whimper tear through his lips.

Her arousal was beginning to stir again, and InuYasha made quick work of his pants, eager to feel the skin of Kagome's inner thigh against his hip as she rubbed him – these clothes were just too much.

Palms massaged her creamy breasts, things he'd always found so attractive but never had the indulgence to learn just how beautiful they were. Her sloppy school uniform didn't do them justice – they were round and well proportioned and perky. It was evident Kagome liked InuYasha's massage, her scent was beginning to grow more potent and she was moaning in pleasure.

"Kagome," he muttered as he began to suckle the skin between her breasts, and down her stomach. She whimpered a pathetic reply. "Y-You're my best friend."

She smiled, and somehow an upper level of thinking was activated long enough to reply. "You're my best friend, too…"

His hand suddenly snaked down to her thighs, rubbing the side before delving inside to the tender flesh of her inner thigh. He was so close, he could feel her heat. Kagome, meanwhile, breathed in short, sharp breaths, her muscles taut in anticipation of his touches and her lower regions began to throb.

But he seemed hesitant, and Kagome stifled a groan of frustration as he left the area to rub her knee. Kagome spread her legs ever so slightly, as if it was an invitation for him to touch her, but still he remained, tickling the inside of the other leg before skimming over her panties completely. That time she let out a huff of frustration.

"What?" he mumbled softly as she ground her hips into his. Hard. It was an attempt to tell the hanyou what she desperately needed from him. His lips twisted into a smile. "…You want me to touch you?"

"Yes," she mumbled as his hand crept back down. "Please, oh yes…"

His fingers grazed the fabric of her thong, tracing from her navel, down her curls and then under, where the fabric thinned a lot and he could easily slip a finger into her wetness. Kagome groaned loudly as he touched her, naively and softly at first, as if he was finding his bearings. Soon, however, he withdrew, without even making a mark to quench the tension that was throbbing throughout her lower area and made quick work of her tiny fundoshi. Now, it seemed that he was able to get down to business and pushed Kagome onto her back before parting her legs.

Kagome was moist, drenched in arousal as he found the bud that gave her the utmost pleasure. He rubbed her gently, quickening his motions when she began to quiver. Soon, Kagome arched her back, her head tossing from side to side on the pillow as ecstasy claimed her body. She wanted him to continue building her to a peak, but at the same time she was waiting for such bittersweet torture to end. InuYasha watched as he tipped her over the edge; when she bucked her hips and her fingernails dug into the mattress, she was astounding.

"Oh my god," she pressed a hand to her flushed cheek when finally, Kagome came to. He watched her, licking lips from juices he'd lapped up from his fingers. She tasted amazing and he'd be damned if he didn't want more. "That was so good…"

InuYasha paid no heed to her comments, and merely positioned himself atop of Kagome's sweat-slicked body and traced a trail of open mouthed kisses down her stomach. His hands caught her knees and hitched it over his hips, and Kagome shocked herself when her hips bucked to ground into the swell in his fundoshi. InuYasha, however, grinned and lowered himself more, eager to taste the honey again and push his woman back over the pinnacle of pleasure. He took great pride in being able to make her come again and again; such were his demonic instincts to please his mate until she was physically spent. When she cried out his name and took a fistful of his hair as he ran a hot tongue through her, it only served to turn him on more.

Kagome moaned and writhed as he serviced her, and with hands she didn't know what to do with, she raked fingers across his shoulders and upper back. He was slowly building up tension again, claws holding her hips to the mattress and brushing across her gut. His mouth and tongue, meanwhile, swirled and stroked her engorged flesh softly, slowly speeding up his actions determined to make her come once again. Something possessed her to grab his hand with her own, and bring it to her lips. Slowly, she kissed the knuckles, the back of the palm, until she suckled his fingers in her hot mouth.

She was coming again, his skilful tongue and mouth were building her up faster than ever before. Suddenly, she hit euphoria without warning – there was no such build-up as last time. He felt it too, and prolonged her orgasm as much as he possibly could, dipped his tongue into her entrance and stimulating her harder and faster. She cried out his name in the midst of it, as he made her go off harder than before. He tasted her sweet ooze as it enveloped his mouth, better than any liquid he'd ever had, and it was all made for him.

Kagome fluttered down eventually, her face and chest flushed and her body quivering. He knew that with such youthful stamina, she was far from spent yet. Providing he gave a few moments for her body to calm, Kagome would be moaning and writhing again in no time. Meanwhile, he nuzzled her shoulder, kissing her skin softly. "You're going to wake the entire house," he chuckled.

Kagome pressed a hand to her cheek self-consciously, but with the burning look in her lover's face, she knew they were far from finished yet. InuYasha licked his lips before wiping the rest of her off onto the back of his wrist. Kagome's hand travelled into his hair, pushing back his sweat-slicked silver hair from his face and brushing over a fabric knot at the base of his skull. She laughed.

"Looks like we forgot about this," she giggled and untied his bandana, freeing those ears he'd kept concealed all night.

InuYasha, upon feeling his ears perked up, scratched the inside of them softly with the tip of his pinkie. They were always his most sensitive area, and always made to demean the ferocious and manly act he gave out: who could take him so seriously with such cute ears? Kagome liked them, and so did her mother, who both shamelessly liked to indulge in rubbing them… which was what Kagome was doing now.

"Tell me, InuYasha," she laughed as she softly massaged the base of such appendages. "Do you really hate people playing with your ears?"

He grinned. "Yeah, I do." She halted her movements instantly and he went to nuzzle her jaw. "They're only for the special people to touch, and I'd only ever let them do it. It's like if you went around letting just anyone touch your breasts…"

Kagome blushed. "I didn't realise it was like that…"

"I like it from you though," he muttered softly, a wicked grin making its way to his lips. Kagome moved to begin to massage them again, and squeaked when InuYasha said brazenly, "It turns me on."

Kagome, with a wicked thought darting through her mind, rubbed her lover's ears harder, stroking from the base to the tip in firm, fluid motions. Soon, InuYasha was putty in her hands, giving just the opportunity to pin him on his back and straddle him. By the time Kagome's hands were away from his ears, and InuYasha realised the position he'd gotten himself in, Kagome was already looking down at him, a smirk on her lovely face, and her heat pressed against the strained fabric of his fundoshi.

Kagome leant down to run her tongue along the lips of his slack mouth, first on the bottom, then to rub the corners softly, a dash along the top and inside, brushing slightly with his, before flicking over his cupid's bow. His breath tickled her face, as Kagome closed her lips to kiss him softly. InuYasha's hands rubbed softly on the sides of her hips. He knew what was going to come, and he expected it in a great deal of excitement, but for now he was content on showing Kagome just how much she really did mean to him, since his love for her was just so hard to spit out. InuYasha soon realised however, that there were other things he could do to show his love – blatantly saying it wasn't always the best option, and sometimes the words he couldn't choke out could hold little more significance in them than the slightest flutter of a spring breeze.

She was kissing down his neck now, a ticklish action he didn't realise he enjoyed. Kagome used her entire mouth, and the occasional nip of her teeth of her flesh made him jump in sweet anticipation for her to bite him – mark him as her own mate so he could the same to her. Tension began to build up at that thought, and the desires that were slightly suppressed within him began to grow again. Suddenly, Kagome was on her back, flustered and surprised and InuYasha was trailing hot, needy kisses down her throat, baring his fangs and raking them across the skin of her neck and shoulders.

Suddenly he couldn't hold it, and Kagome seemed to gauge such an emotion as out of the blue her fingers began to fumble with the ties of his undergarments. Evidently, InuYasha took over and threw the piece of fabric to the side when Kagome tugged the wrong way, making him gasp.

"Sorry," she giggled girlishly and trailed her fingers in an achingly gentle caress down his chest and to the delicate skin above his nether-region.

Kagome spread her legs in anticipation, arching her back off the bed so their hips could meet. She wanted this, realised the girl, more than anything – how had it been such a quick transition? A moment she'd been massaging his ears and riding off two astounding orgasms, now she was wet again and needing him like the air she breathed.

"Please," she murmured when she sensed the hanyou's hesitation. "Take me."

He leant forward only the slightest, his tip just sitting at her entrance. As he revelled in the way her folds caressed him, Kagome groaned in frustration and ground her hips in to his, urging his continuation to love her and to quash a building need.

"Kagome," he moaned softly as he entered only slightly. The heat and the smoothness of her muscles enveloped him as he couldn't help but slip in deeper. InuYasha felt her tightness, however, and suddenly realised he was in the act of deflowering her. He knew Kagome was still innocent – he smelt that she'd had no male lovers, and yet, he had only just dawned on him what pain the act they were involved with would cause her. And then he found it, her virginal barrier which marked her as a woman of no other man, he broke it as softly as he could. Kagome whimpered in pain, muffled by a hand which caught a scream. "I'm so sorry, Kagome," he rubbed away tears which dripped down her cheeks with the pads of his thumb. "I'm sorry I hurt you."

"It's alright," she smiled and kissed him softly. The pain was like a snap, painful for a moment before it then dissipated, as fast as it had come. "It's gone now. Please," she kissed him softly again and again. "Make love to me."

The hanyou kissed her softly and began to move slowly within her. She met his movements, rolling her hips and arching her back to meet every thrust. InuYasha was slow and uneven at first; he wasn't sure how to make love to his woman properly, though his demon side gave the basics. Eventually, however, the two found a satisfying rhythm like the beat of a drum, and Kagome began to moan. Every deep thrust he gave hit that right spot deep within her, and as anticipation grew she hurried her grinds, urging him to hit that spot over and over again until release consumed her.

InuYasha whimpered in the spectacular feeling moving inside her was: she was slick and warm and smooth, and every thrust rubbed him the right way. The pleasure was almost unbearable and yet he greedily sought more, fastening the pace when she began to tighten, making his thrusts all the more satisfying. A slick band of sweat dripped down his forehead as he began to thrust into her harder, and Kagome cried out his name as the need became all too much. Her hands grasped anywhere that she could as to press her body closer; one to clench his ass cheek as she wrapped a leg around his body and the other across her back. InuYasha in response grounded himself by placing a hand on Kagome's thigh giving means to thrust harder into her. He was only thankful for the plush mattress underneath which took the brunt of his ramming – if they had done it in the feudal era the ground would have left her with bruises for weeks.

Kagome tightened suddenly, her toes began to curl and her body shake, and then she hit euphoria with a soundless scream that made every nerve feel the more sensitive. He rode through, however, only making the come more sweet and satisfying for her, until InuYasha felt his release and everything fell away. He jerked inside her, once and then twice, releasing fully. A once-suppressed, guttural cry escaped from his lips as his back arched and every link with the waking world within him snapped; finding such intense pleasure in a dreamy-state. It withered away slowly, before he collapsed and nuzzled her chest; his limbs suddenly flaccid and his mind somewhere off-world.

Slowly, Kagome's hand moved to run finger's down the hanyou's sweating cheek as he lay panting on her chest. Her hands fumbled to find the sheets, thin they were, but at least offered some sort of modesty and draped it over their sweating bodies.

InuYasha was drowsy and dreamy in her arms, with limp limbs and an inaudible voice. He'd spent himself entirely, and Kagome had never seen him in such a vulnerable position – he hadn't even restrained the last amount of energy on pleasing her for himself. Kagome smiled and kissed his lips softly.

"Kagome," he murmured against the slick skin of her flesh. Suddenly he shifted, and had snapped back to the waking world. "That was… That was – I have no words to describe how that was."

"Mind-blowing," she supplied with a smile and glanced at the clock – 4:47 pm. "We should get some sleep… You're going to stay, aren't you?"

His heart wrenched, and InuYasha tried to hide the look of hurt that crossed his face – did she really think he was the type of man to leave her now? "No," he replied. "Of course not. I'll leave in two days time, when your allocated three days is up, and you're comin' with me."

Kagome grinned and nestled into the side of her hanyou lover.

"You're mine, Kagome," he muttered huskily, his demon instinct urging him to claim her. "You're my mate now."

"What does that mean?" she yawned.

"You're mine to hold, to protect, to provide for and to love," he licked the shell of her ear and grinned. "And I plan on loving you every single night."

"Are you mine too?" she asked, her chocolate eyes gazing up to meet his. She could tell by the hard, smouldering look reflected in his topaz eyes that this matter was serious indeed. He nodded once. "… Can I be yours forever?"

"I am yours forever," he replied. "Everything I have done in the past, and everything I will do in the future is for you, Kagome. I have loved you since I first met you."

She grinned. "You tried to kill me when I first met you."

He kissed the top of her head and nestled down to sleep. He hummed in a sort of nostaligic way, as if he was remembering something fond, before he chuckled softly. "Now sleep."

She did. And it hadn't escaped her of the admittance he'd just said – that one word that she'd needed to hear all along, and yet could never ask it from him. InuYasha had to make up his own mind, to say 'love' when his heart, mind and soul allowed him to. Kagome slept peacefully in the protecting arms of her half-demon lover.

His heart had healed from devastation – the love he'd shared with Kikyo, realised InuYasha; had been shallow. They'd been fools to even call it love; if such a thing was with Kagome, and it _was_, then it didn't and could never compare to the flaccid feelings he'd had with Kikyo. The woman he'd spend over a year searching for the sacred jewel shards, the woman who challenged him, fought with him, and at times, hated his guts, could and would turn around just as quickly and treat his wounds and whisper loving words into his ear. He loved that Kagome could challenge him, and at the same time, love him when he pissed her off. InuYasha loved fighting with the woman, something he would have never done with Kikyo – something, he realised, he missed. Their personalities were not matched; Kikyo was level-headed and saintly; Kagome was fiery and something InuYasha loved to tame. He on the same end, was a challenge greatly accepted by Kagome. That was it – they were meant for each other.

And so he lay with her softly aching body, watching her chest rise and fall until the beat of her heart lulled him to sleep. The damn beds in this area always made him sleep longer than usual – as a demon, he didn't have to sleep for days and could have easily slept for an hour or two after their intimacy and have been fresh. But the comfort of the mattress was too much, and InuYasha found himself waking up to a hand pressing against his chest halfway though the morning.

It became evident that, as Kagome searched with a hand feeling behind her, she was checking that the hanyou was still sleeping beside her.

"I'm still here," he grinned before catching her hand and bringing the girl's elegant fingers to his lips. She sighed contently.

What was gonna happen now - he didn't know. What usually happened after everything like this? Oh well, that was a thought for another day, and right now, he was comfortable lying nex t to her body with a thin sheet covering them. Not for long, he suddenly realised, Mama's slow footsteps were creaking on the stairs, looming ever closer to Kagome's bedroom door...

* * *

><p>I hope you enjoyed this chapter; I would quickly like to mention &amp; thank the reviewers...<p>

**YourImpendingDemise123, Rose-Aki, Nyxx96, Cicera , cheatcakes , Ecstatic Fang Dealer , Kyoyama Daphne , Warm-Amber92 , delicate caramel , Mr-Blankety-Blank-Blank Anonymous reviewer, Adam, LovesDepp** and **Tsukasa..rule**.

If you liked this chapter (and I know you did), write me a short, or long, message real quick by pressing review. The next and final installation of Dancing in the Dark is coming soon, so stay tuned and check back regularly!

Until next time,

Arlia'Devi ~ xo.


	3. Part 3

**DANCING IN THE DARK**

By Arlia'Devi

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha: rights go entirely to Rumiko Takahashi and associates. I make no money from this.

**~ Dancing in the Dark ~**

by Arlia'Devi.

"Kagome," InuYasha growled in the girl's ear. She was slumped on the side, her back to him and their legs hopelessly tangled. A claw went to shake her shoulder. "Wake up."

The woman roused and mumbled drowsily for InuYasha to go back to sleep. He persisted however, nudging and shaking her and making a grab for his clothes. When he finally did say, "Kagome, you're mother's coming!" she bolted upright and fumbled for clothes herself.

But fuck, even if they did find clothes, they couldn't deny what had happened – InuYasha's clothes were strewn all across the room, there was a jacket on the floor near her door, a tie hung over a mirror where it had been thrown in haste. Kagome's golden dress lay in a pool in the middle of the room; pillows from her bed had been chucked on the floor amidst their 'activities' last night. Mama was only just outside the room, and InuYasha only had just found his jeans and black tank in the mess let alone begin to get dressed.

"Mama!" Kagome cried as the doorknob began to turn. She was still utterly naked in her bed, clutching the sheet to cover her breasts. "Don't come in, InuYasha's naked!"

"What?" Mama gaped. InuYasha gave a death glance to Kagome. "Why in the world is he naked?"

"Yeah, um, Buyo came in and peed on his clothes…" Kagome winced as she lied, knowing the punishment for poor innocent Buyo. "I chucked him out and closed the door… S-so don't come in."

"Oh," Mama replied. "Alright, well, when he's decent come down for some breakfast. I think InuYasha's clothes would be dry by now."

Kagome quickly pulled on a shirt and panties, while InuYasha huffed and sat on the floor. "What am I supposed to wear, Kagome?"

Kagome gathered the clothes which allegedly Buyo had 'peed' on; she'd have to give the cat some tuna snacks from the scolding he was getting from Mama downstairs for "doing his business inside, you naughty cat!" "I'll have to put these in the wash," she muttered. "I'll go and get your clothes, just wait here."

Kagome left and came back in a second with InuYasha's hefty clothing, of which he accepted gratefully and began to put on and intricately tie the sashes here and there. Kagome watched – she'd worn traditional garments sometimes, but nothing like InuYasha's clothing; it was all so complex. Even his fundoshi, of which was merely a long piece of cloth, was folded and tied masterly. But her lover's body was amazing – lithe and lean, muscular with a few scars from his battles. There was one on his lower back, Kagome recognised, from a fight with his brother – the poison in Sesshomaru's claws had caused the wound to scar. InuYasha either didn't notice Kagome's staring, or he didn't say anything.

Quickly, Kagome got partially dressed in her pyjamas, which made it look like she'd been in them all night and descended the staircase for breakfast. Downstairs, Grandpa, Mama, Souta and Yumi, Souta's new girlfriend, were all eating in silence.

"Oh Kagome," Mama sighed as she saw her daughter. "Did you put InuYasha's clothes in the washing machine?" Kagome nodded and then Mama saw InuYasha. "Oh, honey," she cried. "I'm so sorry that Buyo did that – he's getting to be such an old cat."

InuYasha picked up a low growl from the cat in question and shrugged. "It's cool – not like I ain't been peed on before." He took a seat by the table. "Shippo always used to piss his pants."

Kagome grimaced, remembering him soil her sleeping back one night when they were searching for Naraku. Shippo, thankfully, had grown out of the habit in accordance with no longer having nightmares about his parent's death.

"He only peed because he was scared," Kagome reminded sourly. "Both his parent's died, if you remember."

"Feh, so did mine."

"Who's Shippo, Kagome?" Mama asked. "A friend of yours?"

"Oh yeah," Kagome replied. "He's a little fox demon – only around ten years old."

Mama sighed. "So young to have lost his parents… they died you said?"

"Yeah," Kagome muttered as she ate, not really thinking about what she was saying. "They were both killed by the Thunder Brothers. Poor Shippo saw it all."

"Kagome," InuYasha interjected. Normally, he didn't mind sharing a few stories with Kagome's parents, except for the really dangerous ones. She hadn't said anything when her body was taken over by the black priestess, or when she had almost died from taking in poison from the band of Seven. Kagome looked up and InuYasha motioned to Yumi, who was sitting beside him utterly transfixed in the story.

"Get a washcloth for me, Souta, would you?" asked Grandpa as his finger rubbed at the wood of a table. "There's a smudge of dirt here."

Kagome looked, and noticed the smudge of dirt was in the exact print of a few toes. And not just any toes: InuYasha's toes. She glanced over to the hanyou and blushed. He, in turn, offered a smirk in reply.

"What time did you guys come home from the party?" asked Souta. "Me and Yumi got home at around ten."

"One, or two…," muttered Kagome vaguely. "We didn't wake you, did we? I tried to be quiet."

Souta shook his head. "Hey, InuYasha!"

The demon turned to the boy.

"Yumi and I are going swimming later – wanna come? We can play water polo, yeah, you and me versus Yumi and Kagome." Kagome frowned and snorted. "The girls don't stand a chance against us."

InuYasha considered it for a moment… swimming, hm. But there was another human here, he couldn't play dirty tricks on Kagome like he wanted to. Perhaps he should keep a low profile around Souta's girlfriend while she stayed. That thought, however, went out the window when Yumi grasped InuYasha's claw and marvelled at the sharpness of his claws.

The half-demon quickly retracted his claws however: those claws had killed Naraku, thousands and thousands of demons – they weren't something for a small kid to be playin' with.

Yumi looked up then, and studied the man before her more intricately. Before anyone really had the time to realise it, Yumi had propped herself up on her knees and was reaching tentively for the fuzzy appendages twitching atop InuYasha's head. The man, however, was mid-way through a bowl of a strange sweet cereal and a piece of toast and was playing footsies with Kagome under the table. Yumi almost had a grasp on the object of her desires when a sharp snap from Kagome made her jump.

"Don't you touch those ears!" Kagome snapped suddenly, surprised and ashamed at how rude she sounded. InuYasha jumped, suddenly realising hands nearing his delicate ears, and such appendages flattened against his head.

"I'm sorry," Yumi flopped back into her seat. "I just wanted to know if they were real or not."

Kagome felt utterly ashamed for the way she'd spoken to Yumi, she'd just snapped at the girl, but she couldn't help it. There was something in her that just broke, and she couldn't have the girl touching InuYasha's ears: not now really knowing how it effected the man. "I'm sorry Yumi," Kagome sighed. "I didn't mean to snap… It's just that InuYasha doesn't like having his ears touched."

InuYasha nibbled on his toast in silence, watching the show on spectacle. Kagome hadn't wanted Yumi to touch his ears… why? Heh, he smirked, he'd worm it out of her later, he was sure, but Souta, deciding that he should intervene, attempted to alleviate the situation.

"Are we still goin' swimming, Yumi?" he asked. "We gotta try out our new pool."

Ah yes, the famous new Higurashi family pool that Grandpa had boasted that they were getting the last time Kagome had been back. Since, the pool had been put in, the area around it paved, a small gazebo being erected and two deck chairs sitting under it comfortably. Kagome had wanted to try out the pool for a long time: anyone who knew her knew that she loved to swim.

"Oh Kagome honey," Mama frowned and touched her daughter's shoulder. "I don't know what you and InuYasha have planned today…"

Kagome looked at her hanyou companion. He shrugged in reply, "Nothin' I don't think."

"Me and InuYasha didn't really plan anything for today," she replied. "Why?"

"Will you watch Souta and Yumi this afternoon? It won't be for long: I just have a doctor's appointment that I have to make at two and I don't want to leave Souta and Yumi swimming without watch."

Kagome saw an opportunity to relax by the poolside and took it. InuYasha scoffed: when did the miko not want to relax? She was all about relaxing: even when she hadn't done a sliver of work; like watching Sango tear up demons, it as if that gave her a warrant to request a day of relaxation.

Kagome moved to get up from the table and InuYasha, realising he was finished, scurried to follow. "I gotta go down the street," Kagome yawned and grabbed a towel which was hooked behind her door. A wicked thought passed through her mind of the hanyou who was currently rubbing the side of her hips with his thumbs. When her fingers began to untie his haori, InuYasha grinned and kissed her softly, forcing her to back up into her room and intent on shutting the door with his foot.

Kagome, however, remained steady on the ground and InuYasha whimpered when she didn't do as he wanted. Nipping her neck softly in reprimand, he worked his lips harder and more passionately on hers, which were suddenly unresponsive.

"Kagome," he whimpered in frustration. His haori dropped to the floor. "Don't be a tease."

Kagome wiggled free from the hanyou's grasp and made a dash for the bathroom door. She offered him a playful glimmer and the sometimes rather thick man took a hint and leapt in to the bathroom in pursuit.

Once inside, he was pressed upon a locked door as Kagome began to untie his kahama, the pants dropping to the floor as Kagome's scanty shorts did the same. She laughed softly when InuYasha began to kiss down her neck, his hands running up her sides and brushing her breasts.

But Kagome wouldn't let him get too far, and he growled this time when she wriggled free of his grasp, and, now in the stark, jumped into the shower.

"Are you coming in, or are you just going to stand there," Kagome smirked. "Looking like… that?"

InuYasha looked down to his rather noticeable aroused state and grumbled, taking off his fundoshi and jumping into the lukewarm shower with Kagome. She giggled and kissed him softly, adjusting the water temperature hotter – InuYasha was always so sensitive about temperate: curries, hot bath water… The man could kill thousands upon thousands of demons and yet couldn't stomach the slightest spicy curry. It was incredible.

Now he had her pressed against the shower recess, his hands working her breasts and Kagome's tongue inside his mouth. The warm water belted against his back and made him feel like he was underneath a hot waterfall. The water made Kagome's skin slick, remnants of a cream she used on her skin, making her thighs silky and smooth.

"We gotta be quick," Kagome muttered as she wrapped her legs around her lover's body.

"Quick?" he choked – that wasn't something that sounded good to him. He didn't want to finish quick, he wanted to take all day – basically he wanted to do it all day, and nothing sounded better than to love Kagome over and over again.

But the hanyou found that Kagome was more in control than he first thought – she slipped over him and began to pump hard. InuYasha in response, ground her into the tiled wall, giving it to her when she begged for it harder and faster. His legs began to shake and the shower belted down onto his back. Contrastingly, it was the feeling of InuYasha's warm body and the hot shower against the cold tiles of the wall that drove Kagome mad. She felt herself begin to come, but it wasn't enough – the feeling dissipated and in frustration, Kagome begged him to do her harder, and to stop being so gentle. She wasn't gonna break.

He snarled in her ear and god, she'd be lying if she said it didn't turn her on. Kagome's fingernails dug into his shoulder as he rammed her hard against the wall, bringing back those tingling feelings of release that made Kagome thrash her head back and forth that the feeling was evading her yet again.

InuYasha, feeling his own satisfaction building, would be damned if he came before his woman, and so shifted his weight slightly to the right and lent a hand to deal with her 'situation', all the while whispering dirty things into her ear, licking the shell and rubbing her hard.

When Kagome whimpered and buried her head into the crook of his neck, he knew she wasn't far. She began to tighten and he pumped through, getting broken cries of pleasure from his woman's mouth. He continued to stimulate her, earning a low moan of his name when Kagome arched her back against the wall and panted. Her legs tightened around his body, her toes began to curl and the hanyou continued to build her up to a peak, finding his own satisfaction in loving his mate.

A hand buried itself in his hair, clenching it tightly while the other found grounding on his shoulder. She was almost there: Kagome's eyes began to flutter close and she began to tremble. A cry of ecstasy passed through Kagome's lips even before she had time to suppress and her head rolled back against the tiles as she involuntary bucked against his body before she came.

"Oh, Kagome…" whimpered InuYasha has she arched her back and began to tighten. He followed soon after, slamming her body into the wall and bucking against her, emptying all he had and moaning her name into her ear. His legs could barely handle it, and his weight was pressed against Kagome on the wall. With a heavy head, and still in the midst of mind-blowing pleasure, InuYasha bared his fangs and sunk them into Kagome's neck, releasing another round of liquid heat from her core. This time she screamed without restraint as InuYasha marked her, sucking the hot crimson ooze that leaked from the joint between her neck and shoulder.

When the two finally were able to move, Kagome detangled her legs from InuYasha's waist and supported his wobbly frame. She kissed her mate passionately and began to wash him down, his body still trembling from being so spent.

But it seemed, with demon stamina, he was rearing to go again, the marking he gave her suddenly gave a new reason to take her again. And he did, stumbling out of the shower still no cleaner and a hot, wet mess on the bathroom floor. Kagome grasped for whatever she could, his haori, to place under her head if anything to stop it hurting as she thrashed from side to side.

"Please, no more," she gasped as he reared for a fifth time, suckling on the mark he'd given her. Her chest heaved, and her body felt like it was boneless. A slow ache was present everywhere in her body – he'd physically spent her, his demon stamina proving to be too much on this occasion. "I can't take anymore at the moment."

InuYasha whimpered softly and kissed her parted lips softly before moving to run his tongue over the weeping wound he'd inflicted on her. The mark didn't hurt, but Kagome saw and tasted her own blood dripping off his fangs, and she allowed her mate to clean it up before he fumbled to wrap her quivering body in a towel.

Only when Kagome looked in the mirror of her boudoir did she notice the true extent of InuYasha's markings, of which he whispered he was sorry and kissed her jaw softly. Kagome ran her finger over the fresh wound, feeling the sliminess of InuYasha's saliva mixed in with her weeping blood. But the wound was already beginning to heal; as bruises spread across her shoulder, the bleeding had stopped.

InuYasha pulled his clothes on: the jeans and the black tank as Kagome had told him they were going out. "It's a marking for life," he spoke when Kagome looked at it again, pulling on a pastel coloured tank with white flower petals which did nothing to hide the spreading bruise.

"Why did you do it?" she muttered, pulling on a frilly white skirt, evidently of which matched the shirt she wore.

InuYasha shrugged. 'Felt like it' didn't really seem like a good explanation: plus, she didn't seem very happy about him marking her: for a moment it looked as if she had considered covering it up with makeup. If she'd done that and hadn't put down the bottle of foundation, he would have lost it. At least then, he grimaced, she would have known the true importance of such a bite. Kagome looked at him expectantly.

"… It's my mark over other males," he replied with a vague hum.

"You marked me as _yours_?" glowered Kagome.

He walked up to her then, one hand resting on her hip and the other brushing away the collar of her shirt to reveal the mark. "I don't really know what it means," he muttered. "I only knew that I needed to do it – I knew it would make you mine." His fingers brushed over it softly and Kagome shivered.

They needed to get a move on, InuYasha and Kagome had already spent too long in the bathroom to convince it was a normal shower – plus, the floor would have been an absolute mess, of water and dirty clothes. InuYasha's mouth lowered to suckle on the mark once again, it having healed rather so that a thin film of skin had sealed the bleeding, but Kagome pushed him away with a heave.

"We'll finish this later," she warned but InuYasha took it as a feisty promise.

Mama eyed Kagome carefully but gave the keys to the family car upon her daughter's asking. The girl tried to give her mother a nice smile, but it was more than likely that she'd heard the… _commotion_ happening upstairs, but was too polite to say anything about it. InuYasha brushed past her gently, when suddenly Mama grabbed the man by his biceps. Kagome was already outside, walking out to where the car was parked under a tree. InuYasha watched Mama expectantly, knowing words were wanted to form in her mouth and her scent telling him she was nervous. "I…"

"I'll be good to her," InuYasha supplied when Mama couldn't form the words. She seemed shocked, but her grip loosened.

"I know, InuYasha," she replied and dropped his arm. "I know."

* * *

><p>Kagome had pulled up at a large chemist and proceeded to speak to the staff. This, evidently, left InuYasha to entertain herself while Kagome finished her 'business' or whatever she had to do. He couldn't stand the perfume isle: the scent of so many different things burnt his nostrils. The makeup was weird, but he recognised many things from Kagome's room there, although she rarely wore any of it. His ears twitched under the cap that was dubbed 'his', which allowed better hearing than the bandana. What did Kagome want here, anyway? She wouldn't tell him and sufficed to call it just 'business'; something she had to do. She handed in a piece of paper to a man and he in turn gave her a tiny box.<p>

"What's in the bag?" asked InuYasha as they left the chemist.

"Nothin'," Kagome replied. A low growl from the hanyou and Kagome realised he knew she was lying to him, and he wasn't happy about it.

"Tell me," he demanded a little more forcefully.

"Why should I?" replied Kagome as stubborn as always.

InuYasha frowned then and moved to brush his fingers over the shoulder of her shirt, knowing underneath was the sensitive mark he'd made on her. "Because of this," he replied.

"Fine, it's just a tablet."

"For what?" InuYasha knew of Kagome's tablets – the ones for pain… but she wasn't in pain was she? Was the mark hurting her?

"It's to stop me getting pregnant," replied the girl with a whisper. "Alright? They're little tablets and I take one a day and it stops me from getting pregnant."

InuYasha shot up – huh, that wasn't what he'd thought they'd be. He supposed it made sense; Kagome always told him that her time was different than the feudal era. True, he hadn't been that careful, but he did have the intention of finding a couple of plants and herbs that staved off pregnancy and making a broth later this afternoon. "Hm," he hummed. "That's probably a good thing."

InuYasha didn't say anything until they were back in the confines of the car and he had a moment to examine the packet of little pink pills. "So you take this and you won't get with pups?" he asked more to himself than Kagome, but Kagome responded anyway.

"That's the plan," Kagome huffed; although she wasn't sure the pills would be completely effective… her ovaries weren't just staving off normal human sperm: it was stronger, faster inu youkai sperm that sought out her little egg. Then, a thought passed Kagome's mind, one she'd never thought of until the very moment. He was able to smelt and notice changes in her scent, altered by the hormones released in her body, so that meant… "InuYasha, can you smell if I'm pregnant?"

He regarded her warily. "Yes…" he drawled carefully.

"Am I?"

"No…"

"Really?" she patted her stomach self-consciously while turning a corner.

"Wench, do you really think I'd lie to you about bein' with pups?" he snorted. "Of course you're not pregnant."

"Good," she replied simply and InuYasha rolled his eyes. "Otherwise my thirty thousand yen was completely wasted then…"

After a while, InuYasha began not to trust Kagome's form of protection, and told her so. She agreed and admitted, with no offence to InuYasha, but she wasn't ready for pups yet – she was eighteen, and they'd only just gotten together. There was still the recently dead Naraku and the Sacred Jewel… a life to be carved in either the past or the future. InuYasha agreed, nothing could wait more than a pup. Not that he didn't want pups, he replied quickly thinking he'd insulted Kagome, he did – and with her. But not yet.

"So it's agreed?" grinned Kagome as she came to pull up at the family shrine. "Not yet?"

"Not yet," nodded InuYasha and got out of the car. He disappeared after that, until lunch in which he waltzed through the door a little dirty and scrappy with an array of plants in his hands. He promptly made his way to Mama's kitchen and put a pot onto boil.

"Wha'cha doin' there, InuYasha?" asked Souta as he approached the demon with his girlfriend, Yumi.

"Feh," he replied. "Makin' a drink for Kagome."

"Cool," replied Souta, leaning up to look into the boiling pot, believing it to be some sort of sweet treat the man was making for his sister. "Can we have some?"

InuYasha smirked. "This ain't the sorta stuff for kids to be drinkin'."

"Why not?" Souta muttered and his shoulders slumped. "You're just bein' greedy, InuYasha – how come Kagome gets it all?"

"No," replied InuYasha firmly and pushed the kid gently out of the kitchen. "It's like the cold potion I made her – full of chicken livers, yuck, not for you."

Souta blanched and it seemed that InuYasha had won that battle. The potion was ready and Kagome had sauntered into to the kitchen, sliding into a dining chair and watched her lover cook in silence. He took a cup out of the cupboard and poured the green liquid contents of the pot into the cup and Kagome prayed it wasn't for her. Her prayers weren't answered, however, when InuYasha slammed down the glop in front of her, making pieces spurt out of the top and onto the dining table.

"Not yet," he smirked knowingly. "Now down it."

"I don't see why _I_ have to down it," Kagome muttered and smelled the green slush. Erk! How disgusting!

"You're the one that'll push out the pup," he snickered. "Not me."

Kagome sighed and downed the drink, holding her nose as the stuff went down her throat. It tasted as if she was drinking Buyo's vomit when he'd been out eating grass – warm and leafy, and Kagome gagged when she finally finished the cup, running to the sink and spitting.

"How long will that last?" she rubbed her drooling mouth on a tissue before throwing it away.

"One month, about," InuYasha shrugged. "Dunno. Never thought I'd have to remember it…"

"Who taught you it?" Kagome wondered now and the hanyou began to shift under his gaze. What secrets was he hiding?

His jaw set in then. "I watched Miroku make it for Sango. Don't tell him I told you – no one's supposed to know, I only do because he reeked of sweat and sex."

"Kagome!" Gramps hugged his granddaughter upon gathering for lunch. "Oh, what is that god awful smell in here?"

"InuYasha's cooking," Kagome sniggered and the hanyou glowered.

"Smells like cat vomit," grumbled Gramps and took out a chicken leg from the fridge and began to nibble on it.

"Be grateful you don't have to eat it," grimaced the woman and InuYasha rolled his eyes. Fine, she could be like that. She could be heavily laden with pups and as big as a balloon in the middle of summer, sweating and uncomfortable and he would just snicker and say 'I told you so'.

Souta reappeared then, with the girlfriend InuYasha didn't like one bit, and was dressed in his swimming togs, as was his girlfriend. Yumi held a colourful stripy balloon.

"Were goin' swimmin'!" announced Souta. "You comin' InuYasha?"

"Maybe after lunch," replied the man and sat down on the dining chair beside Kagome's grandfather.

"Now don't forget," waggled the old man's finger. "You've got that promise to your mother Kagome, go and supervise them."

"They're fifteen," grumbled the woman but agreed. "I think they're old enough to look after themselves."

InuYasha had made his way out to the poolside, resting in a hammock which was shaded by a thatched roof made of yellow reeds. He'd disregarded his haori and his undershirt and rolled the ends of his hakama up to his knees by the poolside and began to doze with one arm propped behind his head and one knee bent up. Beside him, water splashed as Yumi and Souta splashed. Feh, this was easy.

A sound of sandals crushing against small stone hit the hanyou's ears and he easily identified the scent as Kagome's, and something else – a coconut smell infused with pineapple, lemon… something _tropical_ as she described it…

"Here," she offered her new mate the yellow drink. "I made you a Pina Colada – they're great."

InuYasha grinned and took the drink, not because he was pleased with his mate's new kindness for himself, but because of the lack of clothing she was wearing – a turquoise bathing suit he'd seen on her before but blushed because of it's immodesty. The top gave him an excellent view of those breasts – bountiful and creamy and just for him, and the exposed skin offered enough room for his fingers to caress as Kagome came to nuzzle into his chest. A sarong wrapped around her curvy hips. Kagome sipped her drink slowly.

The bite mark was clearly evident in the bikini, a purplish-blue mark with fang marks set in a deep, wounded red. InuYasha winced but Kagome assured the hanyou it wasn't giving her any pain… in fact, it made her feel quite strange.

"How does it make you feel?" frowned InuYasha and ran a finger across it softly. Kagome stifled a moan.

"It's so strange…," muttered the woman. "It… It makes me feel _good_."

InuYasha was about to grin, the spin on the word not missing his ears when something caught his eye. Souta and Yumi: two bodies in the shallow end moving closer. Kagome seemed to notice this too, and gasped when Souta's lips locked with Yumi's in only the briefest kiss.

"Oi!" snarled InuYasha and Souta jumped and backed away from his girlfriend. "Youse are too young to be doin' that, 'specially in front of your sister, eh Souta? How would you like it if I kissed Kagome right in front of you?"

The boy sulked then, obviously disheartened about getting caught and climbed out of the swimming pool, leaving the two to recline lazily by the poolside for the rest of the afternoon. Wordlessly, he got himself dry and then him and his girlfriend went into the house for ice-blocks, and evidently to do a little bit more kissing as well. Kagome rolled her eyes, at his age she'd wanted to…

Well, the thought of kissing InuYasha at that age wasn't exactly horrible, as she remembered it.

But now she was contented to recline with her hanyou in a deck chair - sipping on cocktails, his too evidently as he didn't like the taste of rum, no matter how subtle it was. Kagome enjoyed the soft scratching of claws against the skin of her forearm, and the heat of the sun was slowly lolling her to sleep. At least it was, until said man behind her spoke up, startling her.

"How's this gonna fit in with our little schedule?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

"You smell of me, I smell of you – we have mated Kagome, we're each others," then the hanyou said the name she didn't particularly want to hear. "Koga will know you were never his woman."

That would inevitably end in a fight. Yet Kagome felt pity for Koga, his assumed woman stolen right from under him. Although, on the other hand, had Koga asked Kagome of her partner preferences, she would have answered InuYasha. Still, Koga was a friend. "Don't kill him…"

"I have to protect what's mine," replied the hanyou. "If he kills me then you would be available to him again and over my dead body am I _ever_ gonna let that happen." She supposed it was literally over his dead body.

"Good," she muttered and draped into his arms. Kagome began to snooze off, lazy from earlier… _actions_. Demon stamina was something she was sure she'd get used to, and another characteristic about him she couldn't help but love. "I'm glad our little holiday has turned out so well…"

InuYasha sniggered. "We'll have to continue this in the feudal era…"

"Without a doubt."

The hanyou licked his mate's cheek. "In the forest, the bathing pools, by the well…"

Kagome smiled, but wasn't listening to her mate's rambling, and craned a neck up to kiss him softly across the lips before settling to snooze against his chest. InuYasha seemed to get the hint and nuzzled Kagome's back, sighing contently as the warm sun and the cool wind lulled him to sleep. Three days ago he would have shied away from Kagome, only fondly remembering the way her lips had touched his briefly and unsatisfying, and yet feeling how much she needed and loved him in such an embrace. Now, everything was set in stone – Kagome was his, she was naughty and gentle, a minx but a devoted lover at the same time and InuYasha was sure he wasn't gonna get bored anytime soon. The woman had so much to offer, so much so that all he had didn't seem to be enough – love, a family, a future family, the talent to make a house a home. Kagome yawned and grinned that Sango and Miroku didn't have anything on them, and InuYasha couldn't help but grin – he loved beating the monk at things.

Yes, their 'holiday' turned out very well indeed.

**Exeunt.**

* * *

><p>That's it. This story is officially <strong>complete<strong>! Hoo-rah! I'd like to mention the reviewers quickly, those who made an effort to tell me their thoughts on the story and are obviously all very awesome:

**InuyashasFieryInuyashasyokai, Soomeboody, Mr. Blank Review, Nyxx96 , Ecstatic Fang Dealer LovesDepp , cheatcakes , kikyoisaBYOTCH , Warm-Amber92 , YourImpendingDemise123 , the reviewer** and **Adam. **Thank you all.

I do hope you enjoyed the conclusion to this story, and please keep your eyes on my profile for a few more one-shots I'm prepping to post. I've also just started a Spirited Away story "**The Path of Wate**r", which is available on my profile to read also. At the moment, I'm trying to crank out a Rin/Sesshomaru fic "**Eyes I Know**" and an InuTaisho/Izayoi fic as well. Nevertheless, send me a short message about the conclusion - loved it, hated it, long or short when you press **review**!

Until next time,

**~Arlia'Devi.**


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